Homeland Security’s Real-life Lightsaber?

Would Darth Vader be just as powerful wielding a flashlight instead of his trusty lightsaber? Maybe not, but Homeland Security is hoping their experimental, lightsaber-inspired weapon — the LED (light-emitting diode) Incapacitator — will subdue criminals, terrorists, illegal immigrants and unruly airline passengers (no word on Rebel scum, however).

The device works by temporarily blinding and disorienting a person, says Bob Lieberman, president of Intelligent Optical. Once aimed at someone’s eyes, a series of light pulses and colors can be triggered and the subject’s eyes can’t adjust quickly enough to see. “It’s like someone shooting off a flashbulb in your face every few seconds,” Lieberman says. “Because of the wavelengths and frequencies we use, there are psychophysical effects — a real disorientation. The reaction can range through vertigo to nausea.”

What the flashlight-size device doesn’t do, however, is use lasers or permanently blind people, Lieberman says. In 1995, the United States signed on to a United Nations agreement that banned blinding weapons.

A real life light saber is perfectly feasable. However, not in the sense of a true starwars light saber. I have drawn up a few sketches and blu-prints of how to contstruct a fairly simple lightsaber using an array of high intensity UV laserz surrounding a core of titanium containing a power source and special heat shielding. In theory it would be just as compact and would operate basically the same way as a lightsaber, save for the deflecting lasers. If anyone is intrested in how it would work feel free to e-mail me at lt.jaybird@gmail.com